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<p><strong>Welcome brilliant students!</strong><br>In today’s tutorial on AllCBTs, we are solving a <strong>top recurring GCE Physics question</strong>. This one is all about <strong>moments of force</strong> — specifically involving a <strong>uniform wooden plank balanced on a pivot</strong>. This concept appears regularly in GCE Paper 2, so pay close attention.</p>
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<p>You can watch the full class in the video below:</p>
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V30lHcJWaOc
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-question-scenario">The Question Scenario</h2>
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<p>We’re told:</p>
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<li>A <strong>uniform wooden plank</strong> is <strong>2 meters long</strong></li>
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<li>It weighs <strong>200 N</strong></li>
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<li>It's pivoted on a <strong>knife edge</strong> positioned <strong>0.4 meters from one end</strong></li>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-uniform-in-physics">Understanding "Uniform" in Physics</h2>
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<p>"Uniform" means the <strong>weight is evenly distributed</strong> — so the <strong>center of gravity</strong> of the plank lies at its <strong>midpoint</strong>. For a 2 m plank, that’s exactly <strong>1 meter from either end</strong>.</p>
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<p>This is where the <strong>200 N force</strong> acts — right at the <strong>center</strong> of the plank.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-setting-up-distances">Setting Up Distances</h2>
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<p>We are told the pivot is 0.4 m from one end. Let's call that the <strong>left end</strong>.</p>
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<p>So we have:</p>
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<li>Distance from left end to pivot = <strong>0.4 m</strong></li>
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<li>Distance from pivot to center (1 m) = 1.0−0.4=0.6 m1.0 - 0.4 = 0.6 \text{ m}1.0−0.4=0.6 m</li>
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<li>Distance from pivot to right end = 2.0−0.4=1.6 m2.0 - 0.4 = 1.6 \text{ m}2.0−0.4=1.6 m</li>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-objective-of-the-question">Objective of the Question</h2>
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<p><strong>Calculate the downward force F</strong> that should be applied at the <strong>left end of the plank</strong> (the one closer to the pivot), so that the plank <strong>balances horizontally</strong>.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-applying-the-principle-of-moments">Applying the Principle of Moments</h2>
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<p>The principle of moments says: Clockwise moment=Anticlockwise moment\text{Clockwise moment} = \text{Anticlockwise moment}Clockwise moment=Anticlockwise moment</p>
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<p>Let the unknown force be <strong>F</strong>, acting at <strong>0.4 m</strong> from the pivot.<br>The <strong>200 N weight</strong> acts at <strong>0.6 m</strong> from the pivot on the opposite side.</p>
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<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-equation">Equation:</h3>
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<p>F×0.4=200×0.6F \times 0.4 = 200 \times 0.6F×0.4=200×0.6 F=200×0.60.4=1200.4=300 NF = \frac{200 \times 0.6}{0.4} = \frac{120}{0.4} = 300 \text{ N}F=0.4200×0.6=0.4120=300 N</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-final-answer">Final Answer:</h2>
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<p><strong>F = 300 Newtons</strong></p>
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<p>You need to apply a <strong>downward force of 300 N</strong> at the left end to keep the plank in <strong>perfect horizontal balance</strong>.</p>
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<p><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color"><strong>Watch more educational videos and past questions:</strong> </mark><a href="https://youtube.com/@allcbts">https://youtube.com/@allcbts</a></p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-matters-in-gce-physics">Why This Matters in GCE Physics</h2>
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<p>This question covers:</p>
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<li><strong>Centre of gravity</strong></li>
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<li><strong>Principle of moments</strong></li>
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<li><strong>Equilibrium</strong></li>
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<li><strong>Force and distance relationships</strong></li>
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<p>It’s one of the <strong>most common practical application questions</strong> in GCE Physics. Knowing how to draw, label, and apply forces correctly is key to scoring full marks in this section.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seo-blog">SEO Blog </h2>
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<p><strong>Meta Description:</strong></p>
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<p>Learn how to solve the GCE Physics 2025 plank balance question using the principle of moments. Step-by-step guide with diagrams, formulas, and answers.</p>
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<p><strong>Keywords:</strong><br>GCE Physics 2025, principle of moments, balancing a plank, moment of force, equilibrium in physics, how to solve GCE Physics questions, GCE practical physics</p>
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